The Cat Witch
by YarningChick
Summary: Heartbroken by her father's death, a young woman makes a journey with her pet crow to find the place where she belongs. I don't own Cat Returns or Kiki's Delivery Service.
1. A Sad Beginning

Extra

This fanfic was intended to be a Wizard of Oz story with the CR characters, but as you will slowly see, I strayed far from the original intent, even including more of Howl's Moving Castle than the classic film. Enjoy the story!

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Chapter One: A Sad Beginning

_In an open field, a mother was adjusting her daughter's hold on the broomstick, and fussing a little._

"_Don't be too disappointed if it doesn't work the first time, Sweetheart. It took me until I was nearly a teenager to get it right."_

"_Don't worry, Mommy," the tiny brunette said confidently, having looked forward to this day for as long as she could remember. The woman sighed, and stepped back, holding her own broomstick ready in case of an emergency._

"_All right Sweetheart; just like when your daddy taught you how to ride a bike."_

_The little girl nodded, and faced forward. She concentrated, trying to find the family power within herself. Slowly, her hair and dress began to dance with the wind, although it was a calm day. The little girl opened her eyes, and gave the mental command._

'_Fly.' Her broomstick immediately shot into the air, faster and farther than she had ever experienced, when her mother would take her along for a delivery._

"_Not so fast, Haru!" The mother quickly boarded her own broom, and shot into the air after her daughter. But instead of panicking, the little girl was actually laughing._

"_This is fun, Mommy!" She shot higher into the sky, aiming for a cloud so she could touch it. The light fog seemed to splash around like water at her touch, and soaking her hand from the moisture. Her mother appeared next to her, her eyes wide with astonishment._

"_Haru, you're a natural!" Kiki had never imagined that she would be jealous of her own daughter, at least over magic, but this sign was not one that could be ignored. _

_Her daughter would one day become a powerful witch._

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

That silent prophecy was proven to be all too accurate, as little Haru continued to grow. At the tender of age of eight, she had mastered five of her mother's spell books, and was working hard to get to six before leaving her home for the year of training that all witches took.

In fact, the young girl was so diligent with her studies that she hardly ever left the house. Kiki would always fret about that.

"Honey, why don't you go outside and play?"

The young girl would look up from her magic book, her eyes twinkling.

"Go riding? Sure!"

"Oh no, dear. I mean… little Hiromi's a good girl. Why don't you go play with her? Or how about that Chika girl?"

Brown eyes dimmed at the prospects, and the young girl turned back to her book to continue her studies.

"They don't like me. They think I'll turn them into frogs if I get angry at them, and they don't like even asking me to pass a pencil in school."

"Have you ever given them a reason to think that you're a good witch?" The delivery witch walked over, and firmly closed the book before putting it back on the shelf. "Sweetie, a girl needs friends. Go find one."

Haru sighed, and slipped out of her seat.

"Yes, Mom." The little girl walked out the front door with the same manner her counterparts were sent to their rooms. A dark cat sitting on the counter grinned at the woman.

"Good job, Kiki. Your girl was starting to scare me."

The witch sighed, and started dusting the bookshelves.

"Sometimes she scares _me_. It's not good for her to close herself off from the world, even if doing so will turn her into a great magic-worker."

The black feline nodded smugly.

"Just watch. She'll have friends enough in no time."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Several hours later, when the witch was cooking dinner for her pilot husband, her little girl skipped back into the house.

"Mommy! I made a friend!"

Kiki smiled warmly, and dusted her hands off on her apron.

"Who is it?"

"He says his name's Toto. He was almost eaten up by a wolf, but I made fire at him until he left poor Toto alone. Can he stay with us until he gets better?" The girl walked up to her mother, and opened her hands up to reveal a crow chick. Jiji stared at the little bird and licked his lips while her mother groaned.

"Honey, when I said 'go make a friend, I meant a human one. Crows are nothing but troublemakers."

"I can be nice," the chick piped. "I won't be a bother, I promise!"

Kiki stared at the chick, and then her daughter, who shifted uncomfortably.

"I gave him the gift of human speech, so that I could hear what he was trying to say."

Kiki started breathing harshly, knowing that by using her magic on the crow, she had forever marked it from its kind, maybe even making a return to its natural habitat impossible. The woman sighed.

"He can stay, as long as he wants to. But he will be _your _responsibility, not mine; am I clear?"

Haru nodded happily.

"Thank you, Mommy! Jiji, stop staring at my friend like that. If you eat him, I'll shave you until you're naked."

Mindful of his pride, the cat started licking himself clean, now pointedly ignoring the little morsel. The girl smiled happily while carrying her little treasure up to her room.

"I'll take good care of you, Toto. I'll be the best nurse ever!"

Indeed, her future as a powerful witch looked bright, being the only witch in centuries to have a crow for a familiar, as they were so difficult to tame, and Toto enjoyed being with the witch that had saved his life.

That is, before her confidence in flying became crippled for years, by the death of her dear mother.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Haru sipped at her tea; her dark eyes locked on the newspaper. The brunette stole a glance at the clock, getting more and more irritated with her father, who should have been home by now. He'd said he had something very important to tell her, and her curiosity was driving her insane.

The phone rang, making her jump up in surprise. Her father always called her his little kitten, with her manners. Holding one hand to her heart, she walked over to the phone.

"Kibori residence."

"Is this Haru, Tombo's girl?"

"It is. Is something wrong?"

"I'm afraid so. This is Mr. Yashima, the airport director. I'm sorry to be the one to tell you this, but your father was killed in an accident about ten minutes ago."

Her heart stopped.

"What happened?"

"The propeller in his plane went berserk, and a spark managed to get into the gas chamber. We tried to get to him in time, but…" he didn't bother to finish the sentence, certain that she would be able to figure it out.

And she did. She dropped the phone and fell to the kitchen floor, weeping into her hands…


	2. Decisions

Extra

Chapter Two: Decisions

The tall brunette collapsed on her couch, her dark eyes vague and distant. Her father's insurance had managed to pay for the funeral that had taken place half an hour before, but the young lady was untried at living alone in the real world, without a single person to call if she ever got stuck. She knew that she would eventually have to give up her home.

Flying again. She should have known that it would come to this, since everything else did.

Her mother had been well-known in the area for her flying delivery service, before getting caught in a storm that never truly let her go. Haru was only nine when it happened. Her father had been obsessed with flight long before meeting her mother, and took great pleasure from his job as a pilot. Before her mother got killed, the brunette loved to go flying with both of them. But since Kiki's death, her daughter hadn't ventured out to the sky again, by any form. No one blamed her.

It was so strange, that she would be repulsed by the sky even as she was attracted to it. Like a moth and a flame. But it had stolen enough from her. No more.

Her familiar came through the special window her father had made, which came into a little balcony just for him. The dark crow gripped the railing; looking at her sadly. Her mother's familiar, a black cat that went by Jiji, had died two months after she did, so there wasn't any competition in that form.

"I wish there was something I could say, Haru."

She smiled up at him, and beckoned him closer. If her father were around, he wouldn't have allowed the crow into the human part of the house, but her familiar did as requested so she could stroke his feathers.

"Please don't say anything, Toto. Words are pretty useless right now."

He wrapped one wing around her shoulder in a compromised hug. She did her best to bury her face in his soft feathers as tears began to flow.

"I heard that man yesterday," Toto said softly. "Can you make the payment in time?"

Haru struggled to contain her sorrow.

"No, and he knows it. I wouldn't be surprised if a family came this time next week, all ready to move in."

"So what are you going to do about it?"

The slim brunette sighed, and stood up from her couch to start looking through the books that still aligned the walls.

"What every witch does when she's in doubt. Read in every family spell book until a solution is found." In fact, she had a good idea of what she wanted. But it would still require several hours of looking through her magic books.

Toto sighed, hating the cloud of depression that always seemed to hang over his mistress, the years since her mother's death. Having just eaten his fill of the bugs and such outside, the dark crow flew up to his little nest, and settled in for a nap while the familiar sound of rustling book pages lulled him to sleep.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Toto was startled out of his sleep by a cry of triumph, several hours later. Haru was surrounded by piled of hand-bound leather books; one open on her lap. He grinned, as much as he could, with his beak.

"I take it you found the solution?"

The young woman nodded enthusiastically.

"If you'll remember our year away from home, I specialized in spells and charms. Well, I just found one that might be what I'm looking for."

He hopped down from his balcony in order to land on her shoulder and read the old script.

"Heart's Home," he read, wondering what she was thinking. True, most birds couldn't read human, but his mistress had been very thorough with training him to be her familiar, after he had begged for the position. Haru traced the spell's title thoughtfully, knowing it was her last option.

"It's supposed to take you to the place where you're meant to be. Sometimes it takes a tree or another soul along for the ride, since it's so powerful."

"Haru, are you sure about using something this drastic?" the crow asked worriedly, wondering how much such a powerful spell would take a toll on his beloved mistress.

The woman smiled grimly, stroking his feathers.

"Toto, besides you and our house, there's nothing holding me here. I'm tired of people looking at me with pity and expecting me to lap up their words. Mom loved this town. It was hers, not mine. I need to find where _I_ belong."

Toto knocked heads with her affectionately.

"I belong wherever you are. Let's go."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Prince Artemis, younger brother to King Phoebus, was not looking forward to the visit of his nephew, the crown prince Lune. Putting aside physical similarities, which included the mismatched eyes of the royal line, the old longhair wouldn't have been able to tell that his nephew was a true member of the royal cat family. He was just so _serious_! When was that boy going to learn that life was to be enjoyed on every level, and not just endured?!

The prince sighed, and shooed away the young pretty girl-cat that had been entertaining him; a service she performed in order to protect her family and home from his wrath. For some reason, the old prince's amusements always distressed his proper nephew. But his elder brother never found anything wrong with them, possibly because he had his own variants.

The graying cat stood on his hind legs, and started walking out of his palace to greet the upcoming visitor. He grinned happily, noticing how all of the servants made way for him. Prince Artemis was glad that they hadn't forgotten the violent demonstrations of his earlier days, since it was oh so much trouble to repeat them on a daily basis.

He could see his nephew, Prince Lune, slightly in the distance. He appeared to be shouting something, but the old cat couldn't understand. The dark gray cat pointed one paw up, making the old cat look to the sky. Was it his imagination, or was there a house coming toward him?

"What's going on, dude?"

He was knocked out of the realms of the living, before he could decide if it was a dream or not.


	3. Prince Lune

Extra

Chapter Three: Prince Lune

A large beak brushed against a young woman's face.

"Haru, please wake up! I don't know where we are!" And Toto didn't know what had happened to him either. When the spell had began, he was small enough to perch on Haru's shoulder, if he could land on her arm first and work his way up. But now he towered over the comatose girl, who had collapsed on the couch from exhaustion. As far as he knew, Haru was the only witch to have a crow as a familiar these days.

The brunette moaned softly, and turned on her side. Toto sighed loudly; relieved that his mistress would be all right. Suddenly, there was a violent, desperate pounding on the door.

"Please open up! If anyone's in there, I'd really like to talk to you!"

The dark bird cocked his head at the authoritative tone before hopping over to the door. He reached out a wing to try to open it, but found that his feathers just slipped over the handle. He tried opening the door with his beak a few times before his irritation took hold.

"I can't open the door. What do you want?"

"To talk to you! You landed on my uncle!"

Toto blinked.

"Oh, shoot." He turned back to his mistress, and tried nudging her with his wing. "Haru, please wake up!"

She moaned again, shifting a little before opening her eyes.

"You were right; that spell was a little too-agh!" she shrieked, jumping to the other side of the couch lying on its back. She stared at her huge familiar, and started pinching herself. "Wake up, wake up, wake up!"

Toto rolled his eyes in irritation.

"Haru, this isn't a dream! A guy outside said that you landed the house on his uncle!"

The brunette blinked, and then covered her mouth in horror as she ran for the door. She opened it, and jumped back; a fresh cry on her lips.

"A giant cat?!"

"A tiny human?!" a voice cried out from the other side of her door. Haru slammed the door shut, and braced herself against it in fear.

"How could the spell have led us to the Cat Kingdom?!"

Toto shrugged, suddenly nervous. Being a bird in a land of felines was not a good idea. The knocking came again.

"I'd still like to talk to you. My uncle, remember?"

The brunette took a few shaky breaths before opening the door slowly, fearful of her punishment for the mishap.

"I swear it was an accident-" she cut off; distracted by the gray cat that was now hugging her fiercely. They were about the same height.

"Accident or not, you did everyone a huge favor! My uncle was, uh, not the best cat to meet." He pointed one paw out her door, to direct her attention to all the cats that were gathering outside. The dark cat took her by the hand, and led her out of the house. She was nearly knocked off her feet by the wild cheering and affectionate cats as they swarmed over her, hugging her like crazy. Some were even weeping tears of joy as one after another licked her cheek.

"We're forever in your debt, Miss…" one older cat blinked nervously, not knowing the girl's name. She laughed nervously.

"Haru. Haru Kibori."

The dark gray cat from before pulled her away from the masses of cats and bowed politely. The other cats backed off respectfully.

"I am Prince Lune of the Cat Kingdom. As much as I am personally grateful for your deed, I'm afraid that I cannot ignore how my father will feel about it."

She blinked.

"The king?"

Lune nodded.

"He was fond of my uncle, and will probably wish to bring you to trial." He looked her over carefully, strangely getting even more troubled. "I doubt he'll be gentle in his judgment, and he can be quite creative with his punishments."

Haru quirked an eyebrow at him, wondering what the prince was thinking of, to make him so worried.

"Will being a witch count against me?"

He blinked, and then laughed.

"I guess that explains how your house flew in like that. To be honest, I don't know, and I don't recommend trying to find out on your own."

Haru sighed.

"All right. What do you suggest, Your Highness?"

"Lune's fine." He put one paw to his chin, and thought for several minutes.

"Haru!" Toto called out, trying to get out of the house, but he was just too big. His mistress placed one hand on the side of the door and concentrated. The door widened and lengthened until the dark bird could comfortably walk out. The cats stared in amazement as he stretched out his impressive wingspan with obvious relief. Haru waved one to capture everyone's attention again.

"My familiar is off limits, okay?"

All the cats nodded, a little disappointed. Haru thought for a second, and then snapped her fingers.

"You're going to get in trouble for trying to help me, right?"

Lune nodded, distracted for the second. She grinned, and rubbed her hands together before placing them on her home. The human girl began to whisper under her breath.

The wood started groaning terribly, particularly where the base of the house was threatening to break apart, now that the home didn't have a foundation. The base solidified into a solid piece as the partially broken lumber began to grow. One side of each wood piece connected to the house while the other side grew further and bent; metal pieces appearing in order to make the long pieces bend.

When Haru's spell was done, there were eight long thick wooden legs attached to the human house; the slight movement indicating that they were ready to move whenever the witch was.

The cats stared in amazement as Toto stuck out a wing in order to steady his mistress, who was now exhausted beyond belief.

Her mother and grandmother had called her a child prodigy. Only a handful of witches had ever mastered all the spells and charms in the family books, and Haru had been fond of hearing about Baba Yaga's moving house.

She breathed unsteadily, grinning at the feline royal while gripping her familiar's wing unsteadily.

"As far as anyone will know, we never spoke. I ran as soon as I landed. I'm still sorry that I landed on someone, but I'm glad it was someone everyone could happily live without. Goodbye, Lune."

The prince bowed low in gratitude. Even _he_ wasn't safe from his father's wrath, if the monarch was roused enough.

"Safe travels, Miss Haru." He stepped off her porch so that the house's spider-like legs could lift the house far above the ground, and carry the good witch far from her landing point.

As the house disappeared into the distance, Prince Lune looked at the slight crater and winced.

His father would not be pleased when his son presented what was left of Prince Artemis's body.


	4. The Cat Bureau

Extra

Chapter Four: The Cat Bureau

The king howled with displeasure as the guards soberly covered the prince's remains, and bore them to the royal morticians. He glared at his son again, wondering if he had left something out.

"And she left as soon as she landed?!"

The crown prince nodded, clenching one paw slightly. He was a shorthair, like his mother, while the king was a longhair. When the monarch was younger, his fur was the same dark blue gray as his son's, but now it was a silvery color that seemed to echo his son's fur.

The king stood up, and ran out of the throne room. He stomped to his study, and pulled out the remote that controlled his crystal ball. The mad monarch whispered into the microphone angrily.

"Show me the witch that killed my brother."

The screen flickered, filing with static before fulfilling the king's wish. The screen cleared, to show a spiderlike house, as it traveled over hills and streams. He already had a pretty good idea of what the witch looked like. Crooked, old, ugly, ill-tempered-

The screen closed in through one of the windows… to show a fair young maiden, dressed completely in black. The Cat King's jaw dropped.

"Whoa!"

The maiden opened up one of the old books stacked around her as her features slowly became that of a feline. She spoke a series of words that the king couldn't understand, but were warm and soothing like a lullaby. The king almost started purring, the words calming him down for no known reason. Her body began to flood with light, like she was an angel. Her large and gorgeous eyes, hard with concentration, became glazed over, and she fell onto a nearby couch, panting heavily. Her features stayed between that of a human and a cat as she faded from the realms of the conscious. The Cat King watched her sleep; entranced beyond words.

"What a _babe_!"

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Muta growl-purred leisurely as he stretched, walking out to the mailbox. His boss hadn't had a client in a week, and the old fat cat was staring to wish for something interesting to happen. He checked the mailbox first, finding only a few letters. He pulled them out, and sifted through them.

"Bill, bill, bill, hey! My magazine came!" He tucked the food issue under one arm, and continued sifting. His eyes sharpened.

"A letter from the king?" He grabbed the newspaper before heading back to the Bureau.

An orange and cream cat looked up from his scrambled eggs as the large white cat burst through the front door. He slammed down the mail next to his boss's plate, the royal letter on top of the heap. Green eyes narrowed as a gloved hand delicately picked up the letter, and broke the seal.

The half-cat opened the folded paper within it, and carefully read it; his eyes slowly widening as they traveled down the royal stationary. Muta gaped as he unfolded the newspaper, and then started laughing.

"Looks like there's a new hero in the Cat Kingdom! Some human witch dropped her house on Prince Artemis!"

The other cat nodded grimly, refolding the letter.

"The king wants us to track her down, and bring her to the palace for judgment."

Muta chuckled darkly.

"I wonder if the witch could spare the time to drop her house on the king too, and rid the kingdom of a second nuisance."

Baron smiled, his eyes glowing.

"Although I'm not all that eager to bring the witch to justice, it would be bad manners not to congratulate her on a job well done. I'm not even put out that she beat me to taking care of the old rogue."

Muta stretched a little.

"So, we just track her down? And then what?"

Baron finished his eggs before answering; draping his jacket across his broad shoulders, and placing his matching top hat between his large and well-formed ears.

"Let's take care of problem one before worrying about problem two."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Toto brushed one wing over his mistress's face, knowing that her hide was too soft for him to peck her affectionately. She had passed out on the couch again, after all the spells she had been casting lately. The Cat Kingdom was starting to show on her; her ears large and now at the top of her head, and her face covered by the lightest possible shade of tan fur. A number of spells prevented her from changing further, since she preferred hands over paws. She was somewhere between a human and a cat, and she was strangely happy with the balance, as it was her own choosing.

Her familiar smiled again at the girl before carefully pulling a blanket over her with his beak. Turning to his special entrance, he tapped the button with his beak, making part of the roof open up so he could fly out for a while.

The conditions were perfect, as they usually were in the Cat Kingdom. The day was bright, and the crow was high enough to catch a good breeze.

He went even higher, enjoying the freedom he had here. Apparently, the request not to harm the crow had been spread out to the entire kingdom, for the dark bird never encountered any-

His thoughts were cut off as a dart flew past him, missing only by a few inches. He cawed angrily, and looked down to see who had shot at him. Even from this high up, the troublemaker was easy to spot. A large white cat lowered his blow dart and held one paw close to his mouth. He shouted something, but even if Toto could hear him, he wouldn't have cared enough to listen. Closing his wings around him, he started a spiral dive toward the offensive feline, ready to attack.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Baron leaned down a bit to avoid the crow as it charged Muta, taking a big swipe at the soft fur and making the fat cat howl in displeasure as he rolled along the ground from the impact.

"Hah! How do _you_ like being targeted, Piggy Cat?!"

The white cat hissed as he loaded another dart into his weapon. His boss firmly put a hand over it so his companion wouldn't shoot, and spoke a word harshly. Green ropes sprang from nowhere to bind the bird claw and wing. He fell to the ground, still cawing like mad.

"I thought Haru said I was off-limits!"

Baron calmly walked to the front of the crow and stroked the soft feathers in a soothing manner.

"I assure you that we mean no harm. Muta missed you on purpose; we just wanted to command your attention."

The crow glared at him.

"Well, you've got it. What do you want?"

"To meet your mistress."


	5. New Acquaintances

Extra

Chapter Five: New Acquaintances

The dark bird shook his head stubbornly.

"Okay, one; I don't take every cat that asks up to our house. Two, she's exhausted and probably wouldn't notice that anyone's around. Three, she _is_ a wanted criminal, even though everybody seems to love her for her spectacular entrance into the Cat Kingdom."

Baron smiled understandingly.

"You obviously care for her a great deal, and you're completely justified in your reasons. But we don't wish to harm your mistress, and we are willing to let her rest before addressing her."

Muta humphed.

"I'm a wanted criminal too, so we'd probably get along just fine."

Toto looked at him speculatively.

"What did you do; eat the castle?"

"No, just all the fish in the sea."

The dark crow stared at the fat cat.

"I believe it."

Baron struggled not to laugh as his companion hissed angrily. He stepped in between the two, since the bird was at a serious disadvantage, without proper use of his wings. He addressed the crow again.

"You probably haven't heard of us, since you're new to the Cat Kingdom. We're a service agency of sorts."

The crow blinked in a confused manner.

"What kind of service?"

"Any that's required. And I believe that your mistress will have need of our assistance."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

With some difficulty, the crow managed to press the outside button Haru had installed for him the day before. The hinged roof slid open, making the bird sigh with relief as he soared into the living room, and let go of the fat cat that had been dangling from his claws. Muta rubbed his paws angrily.

"Well, where is she?"

Toto held the tips of one wing to his beak in an effort to keep the fat cat quiet as the slimmer one slipped off his back.

"She's right there. Please stay quiet so she can sleep a little longer."

Curious about the witch, Baron leaned over the couch Toto was gesturing to, in order to see the girl. His eyes narrowed.

'_**This **__is the one that killed Prince Artemis?'_

She didn't look extraordinary, except for the fact that she had apparently used the same spell that he had, in order to semi-keep her true shape.

The cat-girl was thin, almost dangerously so. Her blanket seemed to billow around her slender form like a tent, and her sleeping face looked anguished, like the girl was having a terrible nightmare. She just looked tired, and ragged.

He reached down and pulled the blanket over her shoulder, since it had slipped off. The orange cat could sense his friend also lean over in order to see the girl, and heard him sniff.

"Looks like we got here just in time. Chicky here looks like a toothpick."

"Take that back!" Toto whispered, indignant in his mistress's behalf. "She's been working hard to make this house livable, and hard to track by the king's men."

Muta humphed again, and walked into the kitchen to see what she had to work with.

"A scarecrow is a scarecrow, and she needs a good meal in her stomach before the wind blows her away."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

_Haru was in the air again, letting the wind wash over her like an ocean. She gripped her broomstick firmly, and went into a barrel-dive; loving the adrenaline rush. Close to her was Toto, now half-grown and racing past the little witch._

"_First one home's a rotten worm!" he called out to her happily, making her giggle._

"_Yeah, and the first one's going to eat it!"_

Haru didn't want to admit this, especially to Toto, but she did miss flying. But, no… it was too risky.

The brunette's sensitive nose picked up the scent of something delicious long before she was fully awake. Her stomach growled angrily, making her groan and sit up from the couch. Her favorite blanket had been draped across her; making her smile warmly.

'_Oh Toto…' _

He had become so protective of her, now that he had the size to pull it off. She stretched and got off the couch to head into the kitchen. Her heart stopped, as did her feet. For there were unfamiliar voices in her kitchen.

"You're adding too much salt, fatso."

"Why don't you lean in a little closer, so I can just add you?"

"Please behave you two; she's still sleeping."

Haru leaned against the wall, gathering a ball of blue energy in one palm. Her eyes slit, wondering what Toto had done.

She held the ball at her side, and walked into the kitchen. Her eyes widened.

A large white cat was standing in front of her stove, with Toto slightly to the side of him. She had to enlarge nearly every room in her house, in order to accommodate her familiar's new size, which was partially why she had been so exhausted ever since arriving in the Cat Kingdom.

Monitoring the two from her table was a gentleman cat, or so she supposed, from his crisp suit; complete with top hat and bow tie. His green eyes locked on her, and they widened slightly. The other two hadn't noticed her entrance, since they were having too much fun arguing. The ball of energy at her side dissolved as the half-cat slowly lost concept of everything but those amazing green eyes…

With some difficulty, she tore her eyes from the orange cat at her table in order to softly glare at her familiar.

"Toto? Would you like to explain?"

The dark crow jerked guiltily as he turned and bowed low.

"Haru, this is the Cat Bureau. They like to help people with their problems. The fat one's Muta, and the nice one's Baron."

The fat cat hissed angrily as the orange and cream cat stood up from his seat like he had been electrocuted. He took off his top hat and held it over his heart, gazing at her.

"Baron Humbert von Gikkingen at your service."

Her jaw dropped.

"No way! The _real_ Baron Humbert von Gikkingen?!"

He blinked; astonished.

"You've heard of me?"

She marched around the table to grab his hand and shake it warmly, being a bit of a fan girl, when it came to him.

"Are you kidding?! I've been hearing about your deeds for years!" She fully looked at his feline features. "I guess this explains why no one's seen you in the human world for a while."

He coughed uncomfortably, reclaiming his hand.

"Yes, well… when it's time for a change, there's little one can do about it. I'm certain that you've noticed that."

Suddenly shy, she put her hands behind her back and looked down.

"Um, yeah. So, why did you and Muta seek us out?"


	6. The Offer

Extra

Chapter Six: The Offer

"To congratulate you, mostly. Prince Artemis should have had a house dropped on him years ago."

Haru smiled a little uneasily.

"I wasn't planning on killing anyone, but I'm glad that the one I killed on accident wouldn't be missed terribly."

He cocked his head at her; amused.

"Except by the king."

She sighed and sat down at the table.

"Yeah, him. I've been warned that he isn't exactly a good politician, which is why we're constantly on the move. With the thanks out of the way, what else did you want to talk about?"

Muta slapped down some omelets in the middle of the table, making her stomach growl louder from the warm and wonderful aroma.

"Eat, Chicky. If you get any skinnier, light will show through you."

Too hungry to argue with the fatso, she forked one off the main plate and started eating it delicately. She brightened, licking her furry lips to catch any remaining juices as the omelet fell into her stomach.

"If you get tired of working for Baron, feel free to look me up. This is great!"

Toto shuddered while the large white cat sent him a toothy grin.

"I'll keep that in mind, but I like working for Baron."

The orange and cream cat gave a small sigh of relief. He was having enough difficulty keeping up with Bureau business without his help leaving him, and he was also slightly addicted to Muta's cooking. The brown half-cat looked at him again, unknowingly paralyzing his insides.

"You haven't told me the real reason you're here yet."

Baron blinked, and coughed again. What was wrong with him?! Miss Haru wasn't very intimidating, so why was he reacting this way?!

"We're here to offer you protection. The king asked us to put you under custody and take you to the palace for judgment, but you heard correctly about his abilities in politics. He will undoubtedly send others after you, and probably already has your punishment in mind."

Was the king aware of how fetching the girl is? The Cat Lord hadn't really noticed anything special about her when she was asleep, but those huge _eyes_… The Cat King had never been particularly merciful to fair young maidens, as the young Prince Lune was excellent proof of.

Haru smiled a little.

"Thanks for being so honest about it. But what can you two do about my problem?"

Muta shrugged.

"We usually wing it as needed, and it somehow always works out."

She blinked.

"You mean, you don't plan anything? You just jump in with both feet?"

"Paws," Muta corrected, helping himself to one of the cooling omelets. "And yeah, that's how we work."

Haru sat back in her chair nervously.

"Why does that not inspire very much confidence?"

Baron sat down opposite of her, capturing the girl with his intensely beautiful green gaze.

"We will obviously have to put a bit more thought into this case, but I assure you that we are very effective. We will do everything in our power to help you with your problem."

She looked back at him, wondering why he and Muta were so willing to help her, a stranger.

"I can't pay. I haven't had the time to make potions."

"A thank you will suffice. That's the payment we usually go for."

She tilted her head at him, since she didn't have clearly defined eyebrows anymore. She smiled softly, the third one she had given since entering the Cat Kingdom. And the number three's significance wasn't lost on the witch.

"Then thank you."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

The Cat King paced around his study, wondering what was taking the Cat Bureau so long with locating the witch. He knew their reputation; once they took on a case, then nothing could stop them from completing whatever task they were put to. They were also known for their excellent timing, but it had been almost a whole day of cat time, and he hadn't heard anything from them yet. He had expected them to show up with the witch a few hours ago.

Natoru came through the red curtain; a letter in one paw.

"Sire; this came from the Cat Bureau."

The old gray cat growled as he swiped the neat parchment away from the lackey and breaking the wax seal on it. He just hoped that it was an apology, or a note telling him that the witch was in hand, and would be delivered shortly.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

_Cat King-_

_I have recently received a request from you, to apprehend the witch that caused the demise of your brother, the late Prince Artemis._

_I may as well be honest. I had no love for your brother, and I doubt anyone did, with the exception of yourself. And I wouldn't be surprised if you wished to punish the witch more out of a sense of duty than actual affection for your brother. In either case, I found the witch responsible for the deed._

_She wasn't quite what I expected. She feels guilt for what she's done, although it's been made plain to her on many levels that she did everyone a favor when she took care of your brother. If she hadn't been warned about your unorthodox punishments, she would have given herself up to the law upon learning that her house had landed on someone._

_Miss Kibori is willing to serve the people in any way she can, to make up for the life she took, but she will not come to the palace for your faulty judgment. Not only do I refuse to help you apprehend the witch, I am making it the top priority of the Cat Bureau to protect her from you and your minions._

_En garde,_

_Baron Humbert von Gikkingen_

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

The Cat King howled with displeasure, making everyone in the castle look up in fear, wondering what had gotten underneath the king's hide _this_ time.

"Gikkingen thinks she's a babe too!"

He started pacing his study angrily. The Cat Bureau succeeded at whatever they put their minds to, and the king knew it didn't bode well for him to be on the opposite side of a fight with the great Baron Humbert von Gikkingen.

But it wouldn't do to have the witch escape her punishment. The king already had a date picked out for them. It would do Lune good to have a mother again, even if there was a possibility that she was younger than the prince was.


	7. Small Deeds

Extra

Chapter Seven: Small Deeds

Haru pulled a little kitten onto her lap as he showed her his broken tail.

"It hurts!"

She kissed his brow while pulling a small jar out of her pocket. Opening it, she dabbed a small bit of the silvery substance on her fingers and started gently rubbing the broken part of the tail. Her eyes narrowed in concentration as the liquid-like stuff started to glow; the tail snapping back into place as the kitten gave a final yelp of pain.

When the light faded, the tail looked as good as new. The kitten blinked back the last tears to throw his arms around the witch's neck to lick her cheek.

"Thank you, Haru-chan! No more hurt!"

She laughed and ruffled the kitten's fur affectionately while his mother picked him up.

"No problem; just be a little more careful in the future."

The mother laughed warmly as she accepted the small bit of healing ointment the dark witch offered her.

"Fat chance. But thank you, Miss Haru."

She nodded and smiled at the red cat once more before turning her attention to the next cat in line. He was wearing an eye patch like a pirate. He gestured to the patch as he approached.

"I've always been blind in this eye. Can you fix it?"

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Baron stood off to the side, as he watched Haru perform little favors for the latest gathering of cats. They always had to keep them short and fast, since the renowned Wizard of Cats knew that a mere letter wouldn't be enough to deter the Cat King.

Especially since Haru was growing lovelier every day. Now that Muta had taken over her kitchen, she wasn't missing an average of two out of three meals daily. She didn't resemble a scarecrow as much, and her light tan fur now had a healthy gloss to it.

He couldn't help but be fascinated by the way her darker head fur fell over her slender shoulders, the light wind occasionally teasing it around. She always wore black, which he found to be completely understandable, once Toto filled him and Muta in on her father's death. And now that she had expanded the house to accommodate Toto's size, there was plenty of room for the Cat Bureau in her home. So strange, that she didn't mind having more men around the house.

This is where she belonged. She always looked happiest when she was helping other people with their problems. She was like him.

'_Don't go there, Baron! Remember what happened __**last**__ time you pursued a girl?!" _His heart clenched painfully, remembering… _her._ He had never told anyone what had happened, to make him renounce the human world, not even Muta. He had cast the same spell the brunette had, to escape those terrible memories. The last thing he wanted was for another sweet girl to get killed in one of his fights, even if she could match him in power, though maybe not in control. She was a force to be reckoned with, making him wonder sometimes if she even needed the Bureau's assistance.

But he was willing to be honest with himself; he wasn't about to take back his offer of assistance, and leave the girl to fend for herself again. While he had been known for the past three years as 'the Wizard of Cats', Haru was quickly gaining the nickname of 'the Cat Witch. Somehow, that felt right.

Haru finished with the last client and turned to face him, her eyes slightly faded and feverish. She grinned happily as a breathy laugh escaped her throat.

"Better go back inside, before word reaches the king." She tried to stand up on her own, but stumbled. Baron immediately sprang forward in order to catch her. Sensing that she was weaker than she looked, he just swept her into his arms and headed back to the house, which had been lowered to the ground so they could safely step out and into it.

She blushed hard; her arms being crossed over her chest as she was pressed against his. The brunette used to fantasize about this all the time, when he was just a celebrity crush to her, but having him actually hold her like this was so… she couldn't even think of a way to describe it.

"I-I can walk."

He smiled warmly at her.

"Don't worry." He looked up in order to not trip on the front step. The slim girl in his arms relaxed a little, as she reached out to open the door, since the tomcat's arms were full of her. Suddenly, her heart trying to keep several new beats, all at the same time.

'_His arms… they feel like Dad's.'_

Once inside the home, the house stood on its many legs again, to continue its trek across the Cat Kingdom, using mountains and mists to its advantage.

Carefully, Baron set her down on the couch, so she could rest.

"I think you would greatly benefit from a cup of tea, Miss Haru."

She blinked.

"I've never been much of a tea-drinker; I've always gone with hot cocoa."

He smiled warmly at her while heading into the kitchen, since Muta was apparently sleeping in one of the rooms.

"Just try it once." He prayed that this would be a good batch. Despite all his inner protests about not letting the girl get into his heart, his will always seemed to melt like jelly whenever she looked at him.

After a few minutes, he came back with a steaming teacup, and gave it to the girl, who inhaled the fragrant fumes once before taking a sip. She swished it around in her mouth a little and swallowed before giving her verdict.

"_Wow_. That was… great! I don't think I'll be going back to cocoa any time soon."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

The Cat King howled with frustration; a sound that was becoming more and more common, as days stretched into weeks since he had given the order to bring the witch to him.

Why wasn't anyone doing their job? Even with using the portals, they could never quite catch the witch in time to subdue her. And thanks to the famous Cat Wizard, the crystal ball could never look into her home again, and direct portals didn't work on the moving house.

There had to be something else he was thinking of; something obvious that he was overlooking.

Everyone had a weakness. He just needed to find Haru's.


	8. Haru's Weakness

Extra

Chapter Eight: Haru's Weakness

A feathery wing wrapped around Haru from behind getting her to almost drop the pitcher of water she was using to feed her plants. She laughed softly.

"Toto, what have I said about sneaking up on me?"

He gave a single chuckle.

"To not to. My; it's a beautiful day outside, isn't it?" The crow extended his other wing to point at the window, and at the gloriously blue sky. She nodded.

"It's always beautiful here. I wonder how anything can grow without rain." Or how anyone could tell the difference between one day and another. The crow rubbed his beak against her cheek.

"It's a beautiful day for _flying, _wouldn't you say?"

Haru froze, catching the slight emphasis her familiar was putting on 'flying'. Her heart started beating faster.

"Be my guest, Toto. You know I won't stop you."

The crow paused, and then coughed once.

"I meant… I want you to come with me. I carried the Cat Bureau up here no problem. I could probably carry fifty of you, if I can handle the living marshmallow."

Haru's hands began twitching like mad.

"Uh, Toto…"

"Please, Haru? I swear I'll be extra careful."

The brunette half-cat looked down at her dark shoes, and shook her head.

"I… I _can't_…"

Toto sighed, but gave her one more hug.

"You can't run or hide from everything that frightens you, Haru. But I'll leave you alone for today." He walked over to his button, and pecked it with his beak. The roof opened up again, making Haru's head fur fly around wildly as Toto launched himself into the wind. As the roof closed down, the brunette's heart was feeling heavier than ever, watching her familiar start his daily exercises.

'_I know I can't run forever, but…'_

Her heart still froze in dread and longing. She hadn't forgotten what flight had taken from her, or what it was trying to promise her.

Flying was in her blood. Before her mother died, the delivery witch took great pride in her daughter's natural skill with a broom. Although they could use factory broomsticks if they wished, the bond was always stronger with handmade ones. Her eyes trailed over to the corner of the living room.

Cobwebs were all over the tiny and crude broomstick that rested there. She had started making it before her mother's death, and she hadn't the heart to finish it afterwards.

She missed flying; she wasn't afraid to admit that to herself. But to everyone else-

A hand touched her shoulder, tearing her from her musings. Haru yelped and turned, relieved to see that it was only Baron. She laughed a little.

"Please stop sneaking up on me like that." She could hear Muta banging around in the kitchen, cooking up something great as usual. Baron chuckled softly, looking at her again. He did that a lot, now that she thought about it. But it never really bothered her, since he was such a sweet gentleman. But he didn't seem as composed as he usually did.

"Once again, I apologize for startling you. I was being deliberately noisy this time, as you requested."

She laughed lightly, punching his shoulder in a joking manner.

"Promises, promises… Was there something you wanted to say?"

He opened his mouth, and moved his lips around, but no words would come out. He blinked, laughed lightly, and tried again, with about as much success. She smiled and grabbed his shoulders in order to sit him on the couch.

"Is it important?"

The dapper cat nodded, his eyes wide and fearful. The brunette laughed lightly, starting to get a little scared as to what was making him lose his cool like this.

"Okay, since you apparently can't say it, I'll guess. Is it animal?"

Baron cocked his head, recognizing the twenty-question game, and moved his hand uncertainly in a 'sort of' gesture.

"Is it a thing?"

"Yes."

"An important one, if you're having this much trouble saying it." She sat down next to him and leaned back, still smiling at him. "Does it have anything to do with the Cat King?"

"Not really."

"What about me?"

He laughed a little uncertainly.

"Very much to do with you."

She held her fist underneath her chin.

"Are you trying to tell me to stop freaking out?"

"Uh, no."

"Does it have to do with flying?"

He cocked his head at her; his confusion evident.

"Did you want to talk about flying?"

"No, but…" the words froze in her throat. She sighed tiredly. "Never mind. Does it have to do with Toto or Muta?"

"Definitely not."

"What about you?"

"Well, yes."

"Okay; it's an important thing, it has to do with you and me, no one else…" her voice trailed off, her eyes widening. "Baron, does this have anything to do with-"

The dapper cat wrapped his arms around the dark witch and squeezed her softly. The brunette's throat went dry, temporarily disabling speech. Oh _dang,_ his arms felt so wonderful…

"Haru, this is a little difficult for me to say, but… I admire you. Greatly."

Her eyes widened.

"Why should that be so difficult for you to say?"

"Well, I _am _five years your senior."

"So?" She managed to unpin her arms from his chest so she could hug him back, grinning widely. She laid her head on his shoulder, just like she had been wanting to for some time now. "I've heard of worse age differences working out fine. Actually Baron; I admire you too. Not my usual choice of words, but it gets the point across."

Baron smiled happily, and tightened his grip on her; purring deeply while she did the same.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Hours later, a young half-cat stared at the ceiling of her bedroom, an ecstatic smile on her face. The window was covered with a thick black curtain, so that the witch could sleep peacefully, but slumber was far from her mind.

Haru couldn't believe it. A man had fallen for her. Her heart skipped a beat, deciding not to get into details over Baron's strange species, since it was the same as hers.

All her life, men had been afraid of her. The only males that have ever tried to get close to her were her father and familiar. Everyone had been intimidated by her power, which had been evident nearly from the cradle. Well, aside from Baron and Muta. Muta treated her with a gruff affection, like she was a child that couldn't take care of herself. And maybe that was right.

The brunette had never really thought of herself as terrifying, but a part of her had known that being a witch was only a piece of why she had always been alienated as a human. She knew full well that she wasn't exactly a breath-taking beauty, but… to Baron, she was. A little giggle escaped her throat.

A distant sound caught her huge ear, making it flick towards the window. Puzzled, she got out of bed and pulled a bathrobe over her nightgown so she wouldn't expose herself.

Pulling aside the huge curtain and opening the window, the brunette looked out, slightly taken aback from the chill of the wind as it flew into her face and hair. Through the long wooden legs of the house that were still moving, carrying the people inside far from the wrath of the Cat King.

Far below, the house was passing by a tiny gray kitten; the long hairs making him look like a puffball. He was crying and mewing terribly.

Deciding not to bother Baron about something this little, she whispered the spell to lower the house to the ground as she exited her bedroom. Her bathrobe was replaced by a long black dress as she came close to the front door. Baron was still sleeping on her couch; Muta asleep on the other one. She smiled lovingly at them before exiting the house.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Baron grunted as the door shut, shaking him from slumber. He sat up and looked at the door, wondering why Haru hadn't woken him, if she was going outside. Stretching again, he pulled on his top hat and coat before going out the door to follow the fetching girl.

He wasn't all that worried when he saw her making a beeline for a small kitten, who must have been in a lot of pain, to be raising such a fuss. As he started walking toward them, Haru touched the kitten's shoulder and murmured something soft and soothing.

Without warning, the kitten turned and sprayed something into the brunette's face, making her stumble back. Baron quickened his pace with horror as the kitten caught her, swiftly morphing into a much older cat.

The Cat King grinned evilly at the orange half cat as a blue portal appeared behind him, and the old cat jumped through the portal with the prize in his arms. The portal closed just as Baron jumped for it, landing him in a ditch. Showing more emotion than he had ever dared to in public, the Cat Wizard howled as tears fell down his face.

"_Haru_!"


	9. Black and White

Extra

Chapter Nine: Black and White

Haru was lost within a swirling vortex of darkness, forever falling toward a ground that she would never feel again. She tried to focus on something, anything, but found that she couldn't. What was wrong with her?

A spray touched her face again, this one bearing none of the sweetness that had accompanied the first one. She groaned, and reluctantly opened her eyes.

She was now in a large hall, very grand. She tried to move around, but she couldn't. Her feet were bound, as was her hands. On each side of her, she could see to big beefy green cats, who were holding her fast. One was holding a spray bottle. Why were they looking at her with pity?

"All right; now that the babe is awake, the meeting can come to order."

A pounding noise made the witch wince, and look up at a large stand, and at the cat standing behind it.

He was a large longhair; his light gray fur matching that of the kitten. As he looked at her, she realized that his eyes were also the same.

She had been tricked! The witch tried to get angry enough to defend herself, but she just couldn't focus. The large cat grinned evilly at her, somehow knowing what she was going through. He was dressed in a long black robe, and had a really cheesy white wig over his head, like an old-fashioned judge. But unlike a real judge, a strange purple gem was nestled in the bangs of the wig, and there were golden armbands over the long sleeves of his robe.

"Cat Witch; you have been accused of assassinating a member of the royal family, and then escaping judgment. How do you plead?"

"It was an accident-" she tried to say, her speech strangely slurring. The large cat pounded his mallet impatiently.

"How do you plead?!"

The brown half-cat looked down, remembering what she had been told of the Cat King's faulty judgment.

"Guilty." There really wasn't much more to say. The judge glowed triumphantly.

"Well, then we can cut to the punishment. For your crime, one is usually sentenced to death. But, I think I can be lenient. Instead of death, you are hereby sentenced to serve the royal family in any way I see fit." The king grinned evilly as he took off the wig and placed the strange gem on his brow. "And I say you will be my bride."

An untold horror gripped Haru's soul. _Her_, marry _that_?! She tried to break free from the guards, but she was too weak.

"I kill your brother, and you want to marry me? What is wrong with you?" She would have yelled her questions, but her lungs wouldn't fully work the way she wanted them to. The Cat King shrugged.

"Many things, one of which is that I don't have a queen. It's actually kind of fitting, that you replace the lost family member."

She tried to use her power, but it was beyond her reach, with the stupid cloud hanging over her senses.

"Can I _please_ petition for the death sentence?"

"No. Guards, take her to the dressing chamber. We will wed within the hour."

Each guard took an arm, lifting her off her feet so that she couldn't resist. Turning around, she could see many cats, in long aisles. And they all had the same look of sad pity, as they looked at her when the guards carried her out of the hall and up a staircase.

'_If no one wants me to marry the Cat King, why won't they say anything?! Oh, Baron… how I wish you were here to stop this."_ Tears began falling down her face as the guards climbed the long staircase, to come to a large red curtain. Three pastel handmaids were waiting for her. One was holding a spray can, which she directed to Haru's face and squeezed the trigger. The tiny bit of her old spirit that was threatening to resurface immediately melted away as the guards gently gave her to the handmaids, who managed to take her within the red curtain.

Haru had to admit, even in her drugged state, that the wedding dress was beautiful. Maybe a bit fancier than what she would have preferred, but still pretty. But all that lace had to be itchy. The one time her mother had made her wear lace, Haru burned the dress at the earliest opportunity. She found little point, even back then, to dressing up if one couldn't be comfortable.

She hoped that the pastel cat would just put the wedding dress over her dark one, but they took off her witch outfit first. The brunette figured that made sense, since the black would have shown through the dress easily. They had a bit of difficulty easing the hoop skirt over her head, since she couldn't stand on her own, thanks to all the drugging. The cats compromised by having one cat kneel next to her side to hold her steady as the skirt fluttered over her head and settled nicely around her slim waist.

"Please no," Haru pleaded, as they teased her long head fur around to coordinate with the huge dress. The blue cat burst out crying.

"We have to, or the king will have our heads!" she sniffled. The pink one nodded sadly.

"My cousin refused to do what the king wanted once. I still visit her grave."

The purple cat turned away quickly to blow her nose on a handkerchief.

"My father wouldn't move our home so that the king could have a summer palace, so the king just tossed us out. Every time someone tries to stand up to the king, that cat pays dearly. We're so sorry, miss."

Haru tried to move out of their reach, nearly falling to the floor before they could catch her.

"I won't say yes. I'd rather die than marry that pervert."

The blue cat shook her head sadly.

"If that's all it took, then Prince Lune would never have been born. But Magician Natori has a special ceremony that doesn't require the bride's consent. I know humans have a process that dissolves a marriage before one of the couple dies, but here, once you're married, you're stuck like that until you or the husband dies."

Haru started weeping, letting the tears fall onto the ample skirt before the handmaids could catch them with a handkerchief.

"It looks like my house landed on the wrong brother."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

When the guards came back for the witch, they were in matching dark green tuxedos, with red roses pinned to the breast pockets. They sadly picked her up by the arms and carried her down the staircase, carefully, since they didn't want to damage the huge hoop skirt. Her feet, although no longer bound, were a good two feet away from the ground at all times, so she couldn't resist.

"Please don't do this," she begged the guards, whom she could see were also close to tears of regret.

"We're so sorry, miss."

She didn't want apologies. She didn't want pity. She wanted action, preferably of the variety that would lead her _away_ from the altar instead of toward it. Would no one stand up for her?!

The guards came to the large gold doors again, which opened to reveal the same great hall. Standing in front of the podium was a platform. On the fancy woodwork was a darker gray cat than the king, wearing a strange black robe similar to a kimono. Instead of a book, he was holding a large purple bottle. The king was standing just in front of him, wearing a formal white robe, with gold embroidery on the back to form a fancy fish. He turned as the soldiers marched her in, and she weakly tried to kick them, but couldn't make it past the hoop skirt.

'_NO! NO! This __**can't**__ be my destiny! Baron, where are you?!'_


	10. The Wedding

Extra

Chapter Ten: The Wedding

The guards firmly deposited the extremely reluctant bride next to the Cat King, who wrapped one scrawny arm possessively around her waist. He chuckled evilly as the slim brunette started to desperately try pushing him away, still too weak to do anything to save herself. The priest coughed.

"We are gathered here today to bear witness to the union between our magnificent ruler and the Cat Witch." He uncorked the bottle, and carefully poured some black liquid into his hand, which strangely turned into powder. He threw the dust into the air over the bridal couple, and it showered on them. The king took in great breaths of the dark magic substance, which encouraged Haru to try not to breathe at all. The magician frowned, and poured out a bit more dust and directly hit her in the face with it as the Cat King stomped hard on her foot.

Without meaning to, she gasped from the pain, taking in a great amount of the magic. She could feel it spread throughout her body, exploring every inch of her like thick slime. Then it all rushed back to her mouth. Or, to be more accurate, her trembling lips.

"You may now kiss the bride," the magician intoned.

The king was already leaning towards her, his eyes huge and filled with a terrible hunger. She turned her face away, trying hard to throw up, but her stomach was long empty. The king growled deeply with displeasure and painfully directed her face towards his, his extended claws ready to cut her face if she resisted him again. Her heart stopped in fear as he leaned toward her again. She closed her eyes, praying to wake up from this terrible nightmare before the inevitable could happen.

What happened next surprised Haru. Before she knew it, she was swept off her feet by a pair of familiar strong arms, and soft firm lips were pressed against hers. She could feel the magic release into the kisser's mouth, and the magic in his flow into her mouth. She could feel the raw power pass through both of their bodies, solidifying a bond that would last for the rest of their life together.

And the kiss… it was soft and tender. It made Haru want to cry, it was so wonderful.

Very clearly, a good ten feet away, she could hear the king howl loudly with displeasure. She opened her eyes to a familiar green, and let the tears come freely.

"_Baron_," she whispered happily into his mouth, which curved into a soft smile.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Baron smiled lovingly, not quite ready to end the kiss, now that she was kissing him back, relieved beyond words that he wasn't the Cat King. Muta was about two feet away, blowing on his paw and rubbing it against his chest in a self-congratulatory manner as he grinned evilly at the king he had just punched away from the helpless kitten. The priest had fallen to his back; his bespectacled eyes wide with shock from the sudden attack of the Cat Bureau.

The king had fallen off the platform from the punch, and was having a fit as usual.

"Guards! Seize them!"

The two guards that had delivered the bride jumped onto the platform, but were knocked off again as Muta sent them sailing through the air, grinning evilly.

"Anyone that tries to hurt Chicky will have to go through me, _Renaldo_ _Moon_, first!"

"Oh, is that your real name?" Haru asked politely after Baron reluctantly broke off the kiss; her speech still slightly slurred as several cats started screaming and fleeing the banquet hall. Several black and white cats started dragging the king away from the platform, making him howl with protest.

Startled by her slurred speech, Baron reached into the inside pocket of his jacket to pull out a small vial and uncork it. He wrapped one arm around her shoulders as Muta took down the few guards dumb enough to attack him.

"Please drink this, Haru. It will wake you up."

The large cat tossed the old priest from the platform as Haru hungrily downed the contents of the vial. After a few seconds, the young bride blinked, and took a deep happy breath, relieved to feel like herself again.

"Alright Muta; who'd you kill? The King's sister?"

The fat cat laughed.

"No, I didn't kill anyone; I just ate all the fish in the sea, to repay the king for everything he'd done to the people."

Haru giggled, deciding not to voice that she could easily believe his story, thanks to his ample waistline. She walked over to the large white cat and hugged him affectionately.

"I always knew you were cool."

Muta laughed while looking around.

'_Drat. Birdbrain didn't get to hear her say that.'_

"NO! I don't care if Renaldo Moon's guarding her!" The Cat King threw off the bodyguards with ease, and picked up a fallen sword in order to charge the platform. Baron swept his wife into his arms and managed to pull a fancy back flip to take them far from the king's path. Muta settled for hopping out of the way, managing a grin at his boss.

"Show-off!" the fat cat yelled at his employer as the platform was cut in half by the rabid king, who turned in order to face the couple.

"Get away from her," he hissed. "The Cat Witch is mine!"

"Really?" Baron asked, amused beyond words as he kept cradling the brunette in his arms. "That's strange; we both inhaled the matrimonial powder, I kissed her, we both felt the bond… sorry for not courting you longer, love," he said to Haru. She giggled and kissed his cheek.

"Out of all the things I'm going to let you apologize for, marrying me isn't going to be one of them."

The king howled again, and charged. Baron grabbed a sword while firmly placing his bride behind him to protect her.

Swords clashed loudly as the two cats dueled. Haru smartly ran for Muta's side, certain that no one would try to grab her again while she was near him. The white cat grinned at her while placing one paw on her shoulder, to ward off any that would try to harm his new mistress. The remaining cats got his unspoken point, and left her alone.

Haru watched Baron's movements, entranced as he wove and dipped and lunged. The king didn't seem to have a strategy outside of wanting to kill his rival.

It still wasn't very long before the duel ended. Baron stood over his rival, having disarmed (made the king lose his weapon; Baron wouldn't actually cut off arms!) his opponent, who had fallen on his back, and was looking up at the orange cat in fear.

"Just out of curiosity; do you even know her name?"


	11. Wedded Bliss

Extra

Chapter Eleven: Wedded Bliss

The Cat King blinked.

"Of course I do! It's… um, Chicky!"

Muta made a sound like a bad buzzer.

"Wrong; that's my name for her! Try again!"

The king started hyperventilating.

"Um, Babe?"

Baron pointedly raised the tip to the king's heart.

"Kindly never refer to my wife like that again. I can't believe you went through all this trouble, and you never even bothered to find out her name. It doesn't matter anymore; I should have done this when I first came to the Cat Kingdom." With one swift motion, Baron swiped his sword, making Haru gasp and bury her face in Muta's fur, not wishing to witness the death, still having a tender heart, underneath it all. She heard a heavy thud as the king's head fell to the floor, and his body follow a second afterward.

She felt her husband's gloved fingers touch her bare shoulder.

"Haru, are you certain that Prince Lune is mentally stable enough to handle the throne?"

"Very. You know he's the one that told me to run for it."

Baron smiled grimly, and tossed his red-stained sword to the side. He nodded cordially at the prince, who had just come back into the room. The dark cat stopped at the entrance, his mismatched eyes widening as he saw the two separate pieces of his father's body. His eyes saddened as he looked up at Baron.

"I know I should be grateful for your deed. My father was a terrible cat."

Baron tipped his hat at the new king as Muta waddled to the large window and jumped out, Toto clearly seen to be catching him with his claws.

"He may have been your father, but he had a number of things to answer for. If you feel this was a little harsh, feel free to look me up."

Lune shook his head, not accepting the subtle challenge.

"I'll look you up, but not over my father. This needed to happen."

Baron nodded sadly as he picked up his bride, with some difficulty, with the large hoop in the skirt. Haru frowned, since the hoop was exposing everything, and used her power to get rid of it. Her skirt fell in a manner similar to a popped balloon, making her giggle slightly as her husband started charging the same window Muta had jumped through. Before Haru could think to protest, Baron was already sailing past the window frame and soaring to the ground. She tightened her grip on his neck as Toto seemingly came out of nowhere to catch the newlyweds on his back, and return home. Haru's heart froze, remembering all that flight meant. Baron rubbed her back comfortingly.

"Not flying has been your way of mourning. Both of your parents would have understood that, I think. But there is a time to mourn, and a time to laugh. You've been mourning for too long."

Haru nodded, remembering the rest of the saying.

"A time to dance…"

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Haru went straight up, through the cloud. She knew it was safe, since it had none of the darkness of a storm cloud. It was cool, and refreshing inside there. She burst from the other side of the cloud, laughing happily.

Married life suited the brunette wonderfully. Instead of the long black dress that had graced her slender form for years, there was instead a long black skirt, which complimented her lavender button-up blouse wonderfully, giving her a polished look that the old dress couldn't compare with.

Toto flew over the cloud and grinned at her.

"Last one home's a rotten worm!" He made a dive toward the moving house as Haru followed suit, gripping her newly made broomstick happily.

"Yeah, and the first one's going to eat it!"

Toto laughed while pressing the outside button, making half of the roof open up so they could land inside. Seeing her husband waiting for them, she flew just over where he was and let go of the power that held her suspended in the air. Knowing what his wife was doing, Baron grinned and held out his arms just in time to catch her. She laughed and made her broom walk itself into the corner so she could make out with her husband again.

Muta came into the room with Baron and Haru's tea, but humphed at seeing them being lovey-dovey again. Knowing better then to interrupt them, he set the tea on the little table between the sofas and headed back into the kitchen as Toto flew up to the special nest Haru had made for him, after arriving at the Cat Kingdom.

Reluctantly, Baron pulled his lips away from Haru's.

"Lune dropped us a line a few minutes ago."

Haru smiled and stole one more kiss.

"Oh? What did he say?"

"He wants us to be the new rulers of the Cat Kingdom."

Haru left off kissing him.

"Excuse me?"

"He's scared that he'll grow into his father's insanity. There hasn't been a sane ruler in the royal family for five centuries. He's also ashamed of himself for not taking care of his father himself, and for not coming to your aid on our wedding day. He thinks we'd do a better job of it, all things considered."

Haru thought about it as her husband kept talking.

"Although all of his subjects seem to like him just fine, they're wild about the idea of us on the throne. Personally, I'm not very enthusiastic over the idea, but Lune did raise a few very good points over us ruling the Cat Kingdom; one being that insanity has little chance of entering our line."

Haru giggled.

"We can only hope that's true. Um, speaking of lines, how do you feel about starting one?" She smiled mischievously, making her husband instantly connect the dots, and start kissing her hard again.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

In the end, electing King Baron and Queen Haru to the cat throne proved to be a happy decision for the kingdom. Lune was kept on as an advisor, upon the condition that he would be dismissed if any of his father's eccentricities started to show. The main reason the couple had accepted the responsibility was the reasoning that they could better serve the people in this fashion than by traveling around.

And through the ages, Lune had been proven right; for although insanity would show up frequently in his line, it never did in the new royal family's.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Lots of love to; QuickStar, Watersoul the Head Star Walker, Drifting One, Lanari, kittydemon18, EarthGurdian, LadyKandaYu, thetankgirl, and Elvin Magi for the heartwarming reviews. I hope to hear more from you guys in the future. More stories coming!

YarningChick


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